Southwest Georgia’s jobless rate unchanged at 9.0 percent in April

ATLANTA – State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler announced today that the preliminary unemployment rate in the Southwest Georgia area was unchanged at 9.0 percent from March to April. The jobless rate in the Southwest Georgia area in April a year ago was 9.5 percent.

Metro Athens had the lowest area rate at 6.5 percent, while metro Dalton had the highest at 11.4 percent.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined for the ninth consecutive month in April to 8.9 percent, the first time in more than three years the rate has dropped below nine percent. The rate fell one-tenth of a percentage point from 9.0 percent in March. The jobless rate was 9.8 percent in April a year ago.

Statewide, the rate declined as the number of new jobs grew by 31,900, to 3,926,000, the highest number of jobs in Georgia since January of 2009. Job growth is up eight-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,894,100 in March. In April a year ago, there were 3,904,400 jobs.

The industries showing growth were: trade and transportation, 9,200; leisure and hospitality, 9,200; professional and business services, 5,900; construction, 3,400; and education and healthcare, 2,700. While the state gained jobs overall, state and local governments shed 3,300 jobs.

Local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us

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